Selecting and Establishing Turf grass

Next Generation Science/Common Core Standards Addressed! HSS‐IC.B.7 Evaluate reports based on data. (HS‐LS2‐6)

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Standards Addressed PS.01.01. Determine the influence of environmental factors on plant growth. PS.01.01.02.b. Determine the optimal air and temperature conditions for plant growth. PS.01.02. Prepare and manage growing media for use in plant systems PS.01.02.01.a. Identify the major components of growing media and describe how growing media support plant growth.

Bell Work / Student Learning Objectives 1. Explain how to select the proper turf grass. 2. Describe how to properly prepare the planting site. 3. Describe how to seed the planting site. 4. Discuss how to properly install sod. 5. Explain the proper installation of plugs.

Terms Cool season turf grass Plugging Seeding Sodding Turf Turf grass Turf grass blend Turf grass mixture Warm season turf grass

Interest Approach What are some of adjectives to describe a sweeping lawn (like that of a golf course fairway)?

Interest Approach Chances are their lists will use many favorable terms. In scientific surveys where people were shown photos of different habitats, 85 percent of the people tested worldwide—regardless of what ecosystem they were living in or what country—chose open savanna as the most appealing. There is strong biological evidence, probably based on our evolutionary roots, supporting a lawn’s appeal.

What is the best turf grass to use? I. Turf is the top layer of soil with the plants that it supports. Most Americans who use the term turf are referring to turf grass, but turf can actually be a groundcover such as ivy or other plants such as chamomile, creeping thyme, or creeping yarrow.

What is the best turf grass to use? Turf grass is specifically the collection of grass species grown to form a groundcover. Turf grass adds appeal to nearly every landscape. Turf can create a visual floor or carpet for outdoor rooms, residential settings, and panoramic vistas. Additionally, lawn areas act as a transition between physical structures and their surrounding beds. Most turf is highly wear resistant in comparison to other plants, making it a good choice for heavily trafficked areas.

What is the best turf grass to use? A. Proper selection of turf grass is necessary if the grass is to achieve its desired use, whether it’s for a golf course, playing field, park, or suburban lawn. The grass on a playing field will have different stresses than a suburban lawn or a golf course putting green. Lawns with high traffic should use tougher strains of grass than areas which are used more for visual interest which call for a finer textured grass.

What is the best turf grass to use? B. Environmental considerations play a large part in selecting a turf grass. Temperature and precipitation are key factors affecting the adaptability of a turf grass to a site. Other factors include the type of soil, the use of the area to be established, and the grasses’ maintenance requirements.

What is the best turf grass to use? 1. Cool season turf grass grows best in temperatures of 60–75 °F. They may become dormant if allowed to dry out during the summer. Warm-season turf grass grows best in temperatures of 80–95°F. Which type would be most suitable for New Mexico?

What is the best turf grass to use? 2. There are four main turf grass climatic zones: a. Cool humid—best suited to cool season grasses such as bluegrass, ryegrass, fescue or bent grass. The soils are generally acidic and some irrigation may be needed to supplement the natural rainfall of the area. Generally do not perform well in most of New Mexico. b. Warm humid—best suited to warm season grasses such as Bermuda grass, zoysia, or St. Augustine grass. The soils are generally strongly acidic and may be infertile due to low organic content. Bermuda grass is the best performing turf grass in most of New Mexico.

What is the best turf grass to use? c. Cool arid/semi-arid—best suited to buffalo grass and wheat grasses. The soils are generally acidic and will usually not support other grasses unless there is adequate fertilization and irrigation. d. Warm arid/semi-arid—best suited to warm season grasses like gamma grasses. The soils are usually alkaline with low fertility. They will not support grass without irrigation.

What is the best turf grass to use? 3. The amount of sun or shade a lawn receives will also affect grass selection.

How can the site be properly prepared? II. In order to establish turf, regardless of the means of installation, proper preparation of the planting site will reduce many problems. The following may need to be addressed. Drainage aeration soil compaction pH soil fertility debris

How can the site be properly prepared? A. Weeds, especially perennial grasses, must be removed before seeding a lawn or they will compete with more desirable grasses for the available nutrients and water. Use of an herbicide prior to other work will effectively remove these pests.

How can the site be properly prepared? B. Proper drainage can be created by grading the site. Generally a 1-2% slope away from buildings is adequate. If the soil is clayey, soil amendment may be necessary to improve percolation of water. For very heavy clay soils, it may be necessary to install drainage tiles. During the grading process, debris such as rocks or wood should be removed.

How can the site be properly prepared? C. Most turf grass grows best with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. A soil test should be done, if topsoil is being brought to the site. Amendments such as lime or sulfur can be added if necessary. Soil fertility can also be addressed at this time by adding organic matter or fertilizer.

How is seeding accomplished? III. Seeding a lawn, where grass seed is used to establish the turf, is usually done in cool-season areas. Seeding should be done in early spring or late summer (in the cool-humid region), when the weather is at it’s optimum for good germination and growth. Advantages to seeding include: using desired species or cultivars having the plants develop in the environment in which they will be growing having plants develop deep root systems reduced costs compared to other methods of turf grass establishment.

How is seeding accomplished? A. Once the site has been prepared, the proper grass needs to be selected. Turf grass may be of one cultivar or it may be a blend. A turf grass blend is a combination of different cultivars of the same species. Most blends contain several cultivars, all chosen for their uniform appearance and growing habit. A turf grass mixture is a combination of different grass species. Why seed with a blend or mixture?

How is seeding accomplished? B. When planting the grass seed, it is important to follow the seed label’s instructions for seeding rates. Seed should be chosen for freshness, high germination rate, and the lowest weed seed rate possible. Good turf grass seed is more expensive but will save much time and money in the long run.

How is seeding accomplished? 1. Once selected, the seed should be applied using a spreader. Divide the seed into two halves. Apply one half the seed going in one direction, then sow the other half at a right angle to the first course. This will ensure more uniform ground coverage.

How is seeding accomplished? 2. After the seed is sown, germination can be improved by lightly raking the soil surface to insure good seed—to—soil contact, followed by rolling the lawn.

How is seeding accomplished? 3. Light mulching of the seed bed reduces drying out of the tender seedlings. Use clean straw or paper mulch scattered lightly over the surface. Mulching has the added benefit of reducing seed from blowing or getting washed away by rain. Grass seedlings will grow up and over the mulch as it decomposes.

How is seeding accomplished? 4. Adequate water is essential for establishing a seeded lawn. For the first few weeks, the seedlings should be watered lightly and frequently, sometimes more than once in a day. The goal is to create a consistently moist (yet not saturated) environment for the tender young plants. As the grass begins to mature, irrigation should become less frequent but more thorough, so that the soil is well hydrated to a depth of one inch.

How is seeding accomplished? 5. The first mowing should be done when the new grass has grown about ½ inch taller than its desired height (between 2 ½” to 3”). No more than one third of the grass blade should be removed at each mowing. For the first mowing, the cuttings may be collected. After that, mulching the grass cuttings back into the lawn contributes to the health of the turf.

How is sod installed? IV. Sodding is when the mature top layer of turf including the grass plant and a thin layer of soil is used to establish a lawn. It can create an ‘instant’ lawn for the homeowner. Sod is also selected for its erosion control and its post installation ease of upkeep. In warm-season regions, sod is the first choice of lawn installation since many warm-season grasses reproduce through vegetative propagation.

How is sod installed? A. Sod should be used as soon as possible after harvesting, ideally within 24 hours, other-wise rolled sod will heat up, damaging or destroying the live grass. Choose sod that contains a mix of grass varieties that will grow well in your weather region. Additionally, take into account the conditions where it will be planted, choosing shade tolerant sod for under trees, drought tolerant sod for hillsides, etc. In cool season regions, sod is best laid in the early fall but it can be established at any time of the year provided the ground is not frozen.

How is sod installed? B. The soil bed should be moist before the sod is laid. Sprinkling the site the evening before or the morning of installation is effective.

How is sod installed? C. The soil should be prepared for sodding much as it would be for seeding. It should be graded, amended, and rolled to improve the sod’s chances of good establishment. Once prepped, the sod is laid, starting at a straight edge. Sods should be butted together closely, but not overlapping. The strips must also be in good contact with the soil for the grass plants to survive. A running bond pattern is used to reduce gapping of the sod sheets.

How is sod installed? D. Once laid, the sods should be irrigated regularly until well established.

How are plugs installed? V. Plugging is when small circular or square pieces of sod (between two to four inches in size) are inserted into an established turf or on a prepared seedbed. This method is particularly useful in the establishment of zoysia and Bermuda grasses or other subtropical turf grasses, since these plant species do not produce seed well.

How are plugs installed? A. Grass plugs are sold by the tray or pallet. Plugs are used to create a pattern of grass that will eventually grow over to fill the empty areas. It is usually a less expensive process than sodding with a comparable grass, however it is a time-consuming/labor intensive process.

How are plugs installed? B. Plugs are planted generally six to eight inches apart on the seedbed. After planting, the soil should be firmed around each plug and the area should be kept moist for a few weeks until the grass is established. The plugs will typically grow to cover the entire area within one season.

Review/Summary 1. What considerations should be made when selecting the proper turf grass? 2. What is needed to do to properly prepare a planting site? 3. What is the proper method to seed the planting site? 4. Discuss how to properly install sod. 5. List the steps to the proper installation of plugs.

The End!